We have identified you may not be viewing TRAVAX optimally because the browser you are using is unsupported - click here.
We have identified you may not be viewing TRAVAX optimally because the browser you are using is unsupported - click here.
A woman has been diagnosed with rabies in the Mexican state of Nayarit, after being bitten by her pet cat on 13 November 2022. The cat was not vaccinated against rabies and had behaved aggressively before it died. The woman showed signs of rabies a month after being bitten.
Elsewhere in Mexico, two children were diagnosed with rabies in December 2022 after being bitten by a bat in the state of Oaxaca. One of the children has died and the other remains in a serious condition.
Rabies is a fatal but preventable disease of the central nervous system caused by the rabies virus. People are infected when saliva from an infected mammal comes into direct contact with broken skin or mucous membranes (eyes, nose or mouth), usually from a bite, scratch, or lick.
Rabies is invariably fatal once symptoms develop. Only a small number of people with the disease are known to have survived.
All travellers should be:
Children are more vulnerable to rabies than adults, as they are less likely to understand the risk of interacting with animals, less able to defend themselves from an animal attack and may not report a potential exposure.
All travellers to endemic areas should be aware to carry out immediate wound care and seek medical attention immediately following potential exposure.
Effective rabies vaccines are available and prevent clinical rabies from developing. They can be used pre- and post-exposure.
See the TRAVAX Rabies and Rabies post-exposure guidance pages for further information.
